Signal system for electric cars.



F. S. DENNEEN. v SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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I v I P. S. DENNE EN.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1909.-

Patentd Feb. 1910'.

2 SHEETS-$113111 2.

A UNITED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

FRANCIS S. DENNEEN, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO lJHE OHIO BRASSCOMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOB, ELECTRIC CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANcIsS. DENNEEN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county ofRichland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Signal Systems for Electric Cars, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to signal systems for electric cars, in'whichthere is provided a signal at the front and rear ends of the carsadapted to notify cars approaching from either-direction of danger, andone of the objects of the invention is to provide auxiliary signal lampsand improved means for maintaining a signal regardless of whether thecar is deprived of current or the main signal system-is made inoperativein. any manner. I A urtherobyect 1s to provide a storage battery formalntaining the auxiliary circuit and improved means whereby thebatterymay be energized at a predetermined rate so that it will not benecessary to periodically charge the batteries.

A further object is to provide improved means whereby a portion of thecurrent from the main lighting system will be diverted through thebatteries during the time that the main signal lights are operated, andimproved means for discharging the battery at times, thereby obviatingthe danger of the batteries being overcharged.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the featuresof novelty in the combination and arrangement of the several deviceshereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in theaccompanying drawings, illustrating the embodiment of the invention, andin which F p Fi ure 1 is a' diagrammatic view of a simp e form of theinvention as applied to a car and showing the car in dotted lines. Fig.2 is a diagrammatic view of a system for displaying two lights at eachend ofthe car. Fig. 3 1s a diagrammatic view of the circuit for anordinary electric. car. Figu i is a diagrammatic view of a systemsimilar to that shown in Fig. 3,,showing'the improved means forautomatically energizing the battery in the auxiliary light circuit.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 Application flied March 13,1909. Serial No. 483,143.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one end of the car partly in elevation andpartly in section showingone arrangement of the main and auxiliarysignal lights. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the main and auxiliarysignal lights arranged within alantern or casing.

Referring more particiularly to the drawings and in the diagram shown inFigs. 1 and 4, the numeral 10 designates the lights arranged within themain light circuit 11 and which lights may be located Within the car.Within the main light circuit are signal lights 12, which are placedadjacent the front and rear of the cars for the purpose of serving assignal lights. All of these lights are arranged in series in theordinary and usual manner and the main light circuit is supplied withcurrent from the conductor or trolley wire 13 through the trolley pole14 in the usual manner. Arranged within the main light circuit is aresistance 15 and a relay coil 16, and a switch 17 is also provided forinterrupting the circuit when it is not desired to use the lights. Thecurrent entering the light circuit through the trolley pole 1% will passthrough the lights 10 and 12, when the switch 17 is closed,

through the resistance 15, relay coil 16 and to the ground through theconductor 18.

' In order to maintain a signal at the front adapted to open and closethe circuit simultaneously with the opening and closin of the main lightcircuit 11 so that when it is not desired to have the lights lighted,the operation of the switch 17 will interrupt both circuits or willsimultaneously close both circuits. The armature 26 is adapted to movebetween two contacts 28, 29, the contact 28 being arranged vithin theauxiliary circuit and the contact 29 being arranged within the mainlight circuit.

When the switch 17 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings,both the main light circuit and the auxiliary circuit will beInterrupted and therefore the lights will not burn when the trolley poleis in engagement with the trolley wire 13 and the 'interruption of themain light circuit will deenergize the relay coil 16 to permit thearmature 26 to be held in engagement with the contact 28 by means of thespring 30. When it is desired to operate the signals, the switch 17 isclosed. This will cause a current to flow from the trolley wire 13through the trolley pole 14, through the switch 17, through the lights10, 12, through the resistance 15, through the relay coil 16 and to theground through the c nductor 18, cansing the lights 10 and 12 to burn.As the current flows through the coil 16 of the relay magnet, the latterwill be energized and will attract the armature26 so as to move the sameout of engagement with the contact'28 and into engagement with thecontact 29, thereby breakin the auxiliary circuit. A shunt 31 isprovided which connects the battery 20 across the resistance 15 so thatwhen the armature 26 moves into engagement with the contact 29, thebattery 20 wi 1 be thrown across and in parallel with the resistance 15.The resistance is preferably of some predetermined value and beingarranged. in parallel with the battery, a portion of the current flowingthrough the main light circuit will be diverted or shunted through thebatteries, thereby keeping the batteries fully charged. ,With thisconstruction it is possible that the battery 20 may be chargedcontinuously for a lon period of time without being called upon or anydischarge, but beyond certain limits continued charging of the batterywould be injurious.

On electrical railways the voltage generally fiuctuates considerably andthe resist ance 15 may be so designed as to permit the battery todischarge slightly through the resistance coil during the times when theline voltage falls below a predetermined value. This will be the casewhen the drop of potential in the resistance coil 15 is lessthan thepotential of the battery 20. Usually the battery is of a much lowervoltage than that of the main light circuit. In this manner the batterymay be charged and discharged to a certain extent automaticallyand atthe same time the battery will be keptready for immediate service inlighting the auxiliary lights. Assuming now that the signal lights 12are deprived of current so that they will not burn, the relay coil 16will also be deprived of current and the same will be deenergized,thereby-permitting the spring 30 to draw the armature 26 out ofengagement with the contact 29 and into engagement with the contact 28,thereby closing the auxiliary circuit when the switch 17 is closed. Withth' parts in, this position, the current will flow from the battery 20through the conductor 21, conductor 22, auxiliary signal lights 19,conductor 23, conductor 24, switch 17, conductor 25, contact 28,armature 26, and conductor 27 back to the battery, which will cause theauxiliary signal lights 19 to burn. The switch 17 is adapted to open andclose both the main light circuit and the auxiliary light circuit at thesame time, so that the battery 20 is charging only when the signallightsare used and can discharge only when needed, that is, when the auxiliarycircuit is closed by the interruption of the main light circuit.

By omittlng the shunt 31 in Figs. 1 and 4, the system is applicable tocars operated by means of alternatin currents, as shown in diagram inFig. 3, but in this form of the invention -the current is not adaptedfor charging storage batteries and it is therefore not advisable to havethe battery 32 connected across the main circuit when the lights are inoperation but it is desirable to have the auxiliary circuit operate thesignals or classification lights 19 when the lights 10 and 12, which areoperated by alternating current, are deprived of their circuit. In thisform of the invention the armature 33 is held in engagement with thecontact 34 by means of the spring 35 which completes the circuit throughthe auxiliary circuit from the battery 32, through the conductor 36,conductors 37, auxiliary lights 19, conductor 38, switch 17 conductor39, contact 34, armature 33, conductor 40, back to the battery, when theswitch 17 is closed.

In the event that the main light circuit 11 is interrupted, the relaymagnet 41 will be deenergized and the armature 33 will engage thecontact 34 and the auxiliary lights 19 will be lighted. When the currentis flowing through the main light circuit, the relay magnet 41 will beenergized, which will attract the armature 33 and move the same out ofengagement with the contact 34, thereby breaking the circuit through theauxiliary lights-19 but the-moment the main light. circuit isinterrupted, the auxiliary circuit will be completed. If desired, alight 19 may be placed within the car and arranged within the circuit ofthe signal lights 19. This light will be of the same voltage v andoperate. with the signal lights 19 and serves to supply a small amountof light to the car should the car be deprived of the main source oflight; At the same time this additional light 19 will serve as anindication to the. conductor whether the signal system is in workingorder or not and whether the signal lights are indicating to anapproaching car.

Fig. 2 1s a diagrammaticview of a system employing two signals at eachend of the car and in this exemplification of the invention the currentwill enter the main light circuit through the conductor 42, switch 17,when the latter is closed, lights 10, conductor 43, I

contact 44, blade 45 of the switch 46, contact 47, conductor 48, signalli hts 49, conductor 50, resistance 51, relay coi 52, conductor 53 tothe ground, this portion of the circuit bein arranged at one end of thecar. A simi ar circuit is provided at the other end of the car andcomprises a contact 55 into engagement with which the blade of theswitch 46 is adapted to be moved to complete the circuit through theconductor 56, signal the switch 46 is shifted lights 57, conductor 58and conductor 59, and to the conductor 50 on one side of the resistance51, which wil complete the circuit through the other 9.1 1% of the carwhen rom the/position shown in Fig. 2. The auxiliary signal lightcircuit is similar to that shown in the other forms of the invention andcomprises the' storage battery 60, which is connected to the auxiliarysignal lights 61 through the conductor 62, conductor 63, conductor 6 1,contact 65, arm 66 of switch 46, conductor 67 contact 68, switch 17,conductor 69, contact 70, armature 71, conductor-72, back to thebattery. The armature 71 is movable between the contacts 70 and 73,which latter is connected to the resistance 51 and the conductor. 59connects the battery 60 in parallel with the resistance 51.- The auxilialight circuit at this end of the car is esta lished from the batterythrough the conductor. 62, conductor 58, conductor 75, auxiliary lights76, conductor 77, contact 78, blade 66 of the switch 16, conductor 67,contact 68, switch 17, conductor 69, contact 70, armature 71,

conductor 72 back to the battery 60.

In the form of the invention shown-in Fig. 5, the auxiliary signal light19 is preferabl arranged within an opening 79 in the wal -80 of the carso as to throw its light both into the interior of the car and also bevisible through a lens 81 rovided in front of the light. The main signallight 12 is preferably supported by a bracket 82 in the rear of theauxiliary light 19 and in position to also show through the lens 81. I

In Fig. 6 both the auxiliary signal light 19 and the main light 12 arearranged within a lamp or casin 83 having the usual lenses and which isa apted to be secured to the car by the usual bracket 84.

By arranging the storage battery in shunt with the resistance, thebattery is prevented from being overcharged for when the trolley voltagefalls and the current through the resistance decreases, the drop inpotential across the resistance decreases correspond; ingly and thebattery is partially discharged in a local circuit including saidresistance. But when the trolley voltage again increases and the currentin the circuit including the resistance is also increased, the batteryis ire-charged. Besides, when the otential of the battery approaches invalue t e potential applied to it, substantially'all the current flowsthrough the resistance. The latter thus acts automatically as a safetyby-pass while the battery is kept continuously charged.

While in the present exemplification of the invention there is shown anddescribed a'relay having a movable armature for making and breaking theauxiliary signal light circuit, it is to be understood that any form ofautomatically operated switch may be employed for making and breakingthe cir cuit without departing from the spirit o-l'i this invention.

It should be particularly noted that all the current which flows throughthe main signal lamps does not need to flow through the storage battery.If such were ,thc case the batteries might be overcharged unless used tosupply current to the auxiliary lights very frequently. If it isattempted to place a resistance in series with the storage battery, theconsumption of current is also wasteful and such an arrangement would bemore expensive. It is therefore evident that this improved combinationwill be economical not only in construction but also in operation.

What is claimed as new isv 1. In a signaling system for railway cars,the combination with one or more signal lamps in a normally closedcircuit, of one or more auxiliary signal lamps in a normally opencircuit, a resistance in said normally closed circuit, a storage batteryfor supplying current to said auxiliary signal lamps, and switchmechanism automatically connecting said battery across said resistancewhile sutficient current flows through the main signal lamps to lightthe same, and closing said normally open circuit to effect the lightingof the auxiliary signal lamps when the main signal lamps go outor becometoo dim from insuflicient current.

2. In a signal system for cars,the combination with signal lamps in abranch from the main line circuit, a resistance, a battery normallyinparallel with the resistance and charged from the main line circuit,auxiliary lamps in an open circuit from the battery, and means operableby an interruption of the current in the main line branch to close thecircuit of the said auxiliary lamps and for cutting outthe resistancefrom the batter 3 In a signal system. for cars, the combination withsignal-lamps in a branch from the main line circuit, a battery chargedfrom the main line circuit, auxiliary lights in $1 'normally interruptedcircuit from the battery, means operable by an interruption of thecurrent in the main line branch to complete A the circuit oi the saidauxiliary lights, and means for partially discharging the battery whenthe'voltage of the mainline branch falls below a predetermined Value andwhile the circuit of the auxiliary lights is interrupted.

4. In a signal system for cars, the combination with signal lamps in abranch from the main line clrcuit, a battery charged from the main linecircuit, auxiliary lamps in a normally interrupted circuit from thebattery, a resistance arranged in parallel with the battery permittingthe battery to partially discharge when the voltage of the main linebranch falls below a predetermined value and while the circuit of theauxiliarylights is'interrupted, and means operable by an interruption orreduction of the current in the main line branch to complete the circuitof the said auxiliary lights and for cutting out the resistance from thebattery.

5. In a signal system for cars, the combination with signal lamps in abranch from the main line circuit, a resistance in the main linecircuit, a battery charged from the main line circuit, auxiliary lightsin a normally interrupted circuit from the battery, said battery beingarranged in shunt with the said resistance, and meansoperable by aninterruption or reduction of the current in the main line branch tocomplete the battery circuit to light the auxiliary lights and break thesaid shunt connection.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this tenth day of March, A. D.1909.

FRANCIS S. DENNEEN.

lVitnesses C. T. ANDERSON, E. Horrns.

